Trip report: Alaska (June 2014) by Tropical Birding

Everyone has some preconception of Alaska. It’s big, it’s remote, it’s cold, it’s always sunny or it’s always dark, the list goes on and on. But until you’ve been there you don’t have a real idea of the scale and grandeur of the place, of the overwhelming wilderness and wildness of the state. And especially of the unmatched quality and quantity of the wildlife encountered. Alaska really is a place that has it all!

This was the second tour TB has run to Alaska, and this year we ran it in tandem with the Alaska Photo Journey. At all locations we had two guides (Cameron Cox was guiding the photo tour), so we would often split up for the birding day, though at times we also checked out some locations together. The tour was an all-out success on every front; good to excellent weather at just about every location combined with cooperative birds and just about every target achieved. With a few surprises thrown into the mix, we came away with lots of stories to tell!